The Aztec religion started in the 15th and 16th century. Many traditions were from the Toltecs. This lasted until 1519 when they were conquered my Spaniards. The Aztecs thought that their actions pleased and displeased their gods. Ceremonial temples were called Teocalli. It had pools created for ceremonial cleansing, a place for the priest to live, and storage areas to hold skulls. They also had human sacrifices. They killed their slave’s on God’s Feast day in honor of the sun, and to make the gods want to provide them with sustenance. The Aztec’s also believed in 9 hells and 13 heavens. Another belief was that the sun fought against the darkness at night. There were over 1000 gods, the most important one was the sun god. He was the most important because the farmers needed sun for their crops. This god was also called the Huitzilopochtli. The most celebrated day for the Aztec’s was O’Nothing Days. Priests would dress like gods and go to a vacant volcano to perform human sacrifices. They believed their gods were, “blood thirsty,” because they performed so many sacrifices. The sacrifices took place when the evening star rose in the sky. The human would lay on a rock and an altar. They would be set on fire and their hearts would be torn out of them. The priest would then set it in a dish that was “sacred.” Then the bodies would be put in a temple. Men would instantly go to heaven if they died fighting in a war. Women would if they died giving birth. If you passed for anything different, you would first have to take a trip to the underworld before reaching heaven. In One hymn they recited said, “Huitzilopochtli is first in rank, no one, is like unto him: not vainly do I sing, coming forth into the garb of our ancestors ; I shine; I glitter.” Every 52 years the Aztecs thought the world would end. All ceremonial fires were extinguished, they destroyed furniture and precious belongings. When the constellation of Pleiades appeared, they knew they were safe. Most religion was a fear of nature, and a fear of the end of the world.
By Carrie Patch
The Aztec religion started in the 15th and 16th century. Many traditions were from the Toltecs. This lasted until 1519 when they were conquered my Spaniards. The Aztecs thought that their actions pleased and displeased their gods. Ceremonial temples were called Teocalli. It had pools created for ceremonial cleansing, a place for the priest to live, and storage areas to hold skulls. They also had human sacrifices. They killed their slave’s on God’s Feast day in honor of the sun, and to make the gods want to provide them with sustenance. The Aztec’s also believed in 9 hells and 13 heavens. Another belief was that the sun fought against the darkness at night.
There were over 1000 gods, the most important one was the sun god. He was the most important because the farmers needed sun for their crops. This god was also called the Huitzilopochtli. The most celebrated day for the Aztec’s was O’Nothing Days. Priests would dress like gods and go to a vacant volcano to perform human sacrifices. They believed their gods were, “blood thirsty,” because they performed so many sacrifices. The sacrifices took place when the evening star rose in the sky. The human would lay on a rock and an altar. They would be set on fire and their hearts would be torn out of them. The priest would then set it in a dish that was “sacred.” Then the bodies would be put in a temple.
Men would instantly go to heaven if they died fighting in a war. Women would if they died giving birth. If you passed for anything different, you would first have to take a trip to the underworld before reaching heaven.
In One hymn they recited said, “Huitzilopochtli is first in rank, no one, is like unto him: not vainly do I sing, coming forth into the garb of our ancestors ; I shine; I glitter.” Every 52 years the Aztecs thought the world would end. All ceremonial fires were extinguished, they destroyed furniture and precious belongings. When the constellation of Pleiades appeared, they knew they were safe. Most religion was a fear of nature, and a fear of the end of the world.
Back to the Aztec Empire
Resources
1.) http://www.aztec-history.com/ancient-aztec-government.html
2.) http://www.aztec-history.com/ancient-aztec-religion.html3.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec
4.) http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/latam/aztec.htmhttp://philtar.uscm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/latam/aztec.htmll
5.) http://www.aztec-history.net/aztec_religion
6.) http://www.sanbenito.k12.tx.us/schools/Miller%20Jordan/social%20studies/Social%20Studies%20Aztecs%20/Aztec%20Government
Carrie Patch